Many of these stories I had read on Tor previously and rated them on Goodreads, but the new stories for this collection were wonderful. "The Soldier PMany of these stories I had read on Tor previously and rated them on Goodreads, but the new stories for this collection were wonderful. "The Soldier Prince" is my favourite of the lot, blending horror and fantasy, and the reimagining of "The Little Mermaid" in the world of Grisha ("When Water Sang Fire") was great and unexpected. Leigh's writing is poetic and these feel like true folklore tales....more

Not Gaiman at his best. The intros are getting way too long (we get it, you spend a lot of time on the internet) and these stories were just sub-par.Not Gaiman at his best. The intros are getting way too long (we get it, you spend a lot of time on the internet) and these stories were just sub-par. I guess I just prefer his novel-length work better....more

Interesting ideas and great writing. I liked the 'weird factor' or surrealism of most of the stories, especially the ones based a bit more in the paraInteresting ideas and great writing. I liked the 'weird factor' or surrealism of most of the stories, especially the ones based a bit more in the paranormal. I feel I'm not really a fan of short stories with original characters, though, because I felt almost all were either too short to really convey the idea Link was trying to or just didn't have a cohesive structure a story needs to be satisfying. I plan on reading Link's other collections but I'm not sure I'd as yet call myself a fan....more

I really enjoyed this short story! But I'm very fond of Lord John as a character and can't wait to read the rest of his series (only in order now! I rI really enjoyed this short story! But I'm very fond of Lord John as a character and can't wait to read the rest of his series (only in order now! I read this after The Private Matter)....more

This is a book of articles Bryson wrote for a British newspaper after he returned back to the US after 20 years of living (and starting a family) in tThis is a book of articles Bryson wrote for a British newspaper after he returned back to the US after 20 years of living (and starting a family) in the English countryside. It's an interesting point of view of mid-90s American life - both an American's and a Brit's because, while he was born and raised in Iowa, being away for most of his adult life only to return is still a bit of a culture shock.Bill Bryson has a great sense of humour that had me laughing out loud nearly every article (and the graduation speech towards the end made me snivel). This is just a fun read but was interesting to me being an American interested in British culture and the differences therein. I also enjoyed his Notes from a Small Island for the same reason. The book was also a nostalgic look-back at how America was while I was growing up, having been born in the mid-80s....more

Thomas Lynch is a second-generation Irish Catholic that grew up in the midwest into the family tradition of undertaking. He has quite a way with wordsThomas Lynch is a second-generation Irish Catholic that grew up in the midwest into the family tradition of undertaking. He has quite a way with words, being a published poet, and these short biographical stories infused with lessons and ideals have a beautiful poignancy that made even a common story seem somewhat profound. However, I found that he focused a lot more on his personal life and religion rather than his career in the funeral business than I expected and since the main reason I wanted to read this book was to get a personal view of the funeral trade, I was a bit disappointed. I did like his stories about Ireland and the differences between how people view death and the dying between the two countries, but I'm not Catholic or at all religious so the strong religious overtones were sometimes too much for me. Overall, a very interesting read but not quite what I hoped for....more

I was a little disappointed in this collection. I guess I interpreted "inspired by" to mean more Holmes canon based stories and not just any story thaI was a little disappointed in this collection. I guess I interpreted "inspired by" to mean more Holmes canon based stories and not just any story that had some Holmes or Doyle reference in it. Only a few stories actually features Holmes or other characters from Doyle's canon - which is what I was looking for in this type of collection.Neil Gaiman's story was by far the best, in my opinion. If you read any of these stories, definitely check that one out. I wanted it to keep going!

If you like Sherlock Holmes stories because of the mystery and suspense, you would enjoy this. However, if you're like me and enjoy the canon more for the characters and their interactions than the plots, only a few of these will interest you. Support your local library and check it out there instead of buying....more

Some of the stories didn't capture my attention like I hoped they would. I skipped quite a few because they didn't grip me in the first couple of pageSome of the stories didn't capture my attention like I hoped they would. I skipped quite a few because they didn't grip me in the first couple of pages. My favourite, and arguably the best of the collection, is the title story - 20th Century Ghosts, the second story in the collection - and I hoped for more like it. Hill is an amazing horror writer but some of these stories were not made to be read back to back, but more in a monthly publication. I'll stick to his longer novels in future....more

This is a great collection. Many of the stories have very shocking, unpredictable endings that just leave you gaping at the page when you finish. A feThis is a great collection. Many of the stories have very shocking, unpredictable endings that just leave you gaping at the page when you finish. A few of them move a little slow, but over all, this is a great collection. I would definitely check out more from this author....more